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Scapa Flow Is Sheltered for Diving All Year Round

Scapa Flow Is Sheltered for Diving All Year Round

Text and photos by Lawson Wood

ScapaThe Wrecks ofFlow ’s Islands

Situated 25 km (15 miles) north of the Scottish mainland, the Orkney Islands are located on the same latitude as southern Greenland, Alaska and Leningrad, however Orkney is bathed in the warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift that first started out as the Gulf Stream in the Caribbean. Hence, a profusion of marine life, water that rarely gets too cold and mild winters, whilst the islands are inevitable windy, the almost landlocked bay of is sheltered for diving all year round. The Orkney Islands are created by submergence and give the impression of tipping westwards into the sea. There are great sea stacks, arches, caves and caverns all around the coast, some of which are world famous such as the Old Man of , and they have a total land mass of around 971.25km2 (375 square miles). 79 X-RAY MAG : 31 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Harbour in the Orkney Islands. BOTTOM LEFT: Lawson Wood with the Standing Stone of Sten Ness PREVIOUS PAGE: Aerial view of Scapa Scapa Flow feature Flow Bay in the Orkney Islands When you travel around Orkney the monuments themselves, detailed you cannot help but notice the history of the Norse Occupation was standing stones and ancient not committed to paper until the 13th stone rings which predate century in Iceland. The Orkneyinga the Norsemen as far back Saga tells the tale of the Earl’s of as Stone Age, Bronze Orkney and the occupation of the and Iron Ages and the islands. Pictish civilisation. More recently, the sheltered bay Although very little of Scapa Flow was the base of is known of these the British Naval Fleet over several early times, generations and indeed has other than served the nation well during the Napoleonic War and the American War of Independence. Orkney had the almost perfect naval base with calm sheltered waters surrounded by protective islands, creating a deep natural harbour first named by the . Graeme Spence, Maritime Surveyor to the Admiralty said in 1812, “...the art of Man, aided by all the Dykes, Sea Walls or Break-Waters that could possibly be built could not have contained a better Roadstead

which no other Roadstead I know trawlers, their skippers and crew of possesses, and without waiting for eagerly awaiting our arrival. on which account it may be So what is it that brings the droves called the Key to both Oceans.” of divers from all over the world? Why visit an area, which is not exactly To the Orkneys known for its sun-kissed beaches, There is always a sense of mounting crystal clear water and palm excitement as you approach the trees. In fact, I seem to remember Orkney Islands by ferry, either from the famed Scot’s comedian Billy Aberdeen direct to or from Connolly complaining that when with landfall at Stromness. visiting Orkney, he could not take The initial huge land mass that his dog out to relieve itself because looms up out of the early morning he couldn’t find any trees! The mist is the Island of Hoy, and as interest is undoubtedly around the one approaches the first of several fleet of warships sunk deliberately or entrances to Scapa Flow, visitors can otherwise during the last two world appreciate why this natural harbour wars and principally to dive on the Dive boats in Stromness Harbour was used by the British Admiralty. German High Seas Battle Fleet, In Stromness, we disembark next to scuttled ninety years ago, in 1919. than the peculiar situation and extent point the Wind blows a Vessel in the harbour where the majority of The Orkney Islands and specifically of the South Isles of Orkney have Scapa Flow may make a fair wind Scapa Flow’s fleet of diving boats are the bay of Scapa Flow are home made Scapa Flow ... from whatever of it out to free sea ... a property based; most are converted fishing to the largest amount of diveable

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Interior of the wreck of the blockship Doyle; Archive photos of the blockships and their placement in Scapa Flow Bay during WWI

and wreckage to be found for most of the year. The wrecks are There they languished for over seven on the planet, directly as a result of the actually dotted all over Scapa Flow, months, with most of the ships’ crews deliberate of the German High with blockships found in the extreme being returned to . Admiral Seas Battle Fleet in . Seventy- east and west of the Flow and the , convinced that four ships sank within just a few hours German light cruisers and war conditions were to be reinstated of each other. Couple that statistic found roughly in the centre of Scapa and that the interred fleet was to with a further 43 ships deliberately sunk Flow, arranged in a horseshoe shape be used by the Allied against to block the entrances into this bay near the island of Cava and a rocky Germany, took it upon himself to during both World Wars; 11 airplanes, pinnacle called the . scuttle the entire fleet on 21 June one submarine and a further 16 But first, let’s look at the reasons why 1919 whilst the British fleet had left for British shipwrecks including two British the ships are here and what makes manoeuvres. At 11 a.m. the skeleton battleships, then we have some major them so interesting. crews on board opened condensers, interest. When Germany capitulated at valves and pipes. Within four hours, Considered by many to be the end of the First World War, her most of the ships had sunk from view, impregnable to attack, the bay of High Seas Battle Fleet—comprised of others were beached and many Scapa Flow covers some 311sq.km battlecruisers, battleships, light cruisers, flipped upside down on their way to (120 square miles) and is now almost destroyers and motor torpedo boats— the sea bed. totally landlocked with Mainland to were interred until it was decided Whilst there are still so many wrecks the north, the islands of Hoy and what was to be done with them. In to dive, the largest majority of the to the south and west, and to the , the entire German German fleet were actually raised and south and east, the High Seas Battle Fleet, escorted by 200 scrapped, and interestingly, much link the islands of , Glimps British Naval ships sailed into the bay of of the scrap metal was resold back Holm, and . This Scapa Flow, much to the surprise and to Germany for them to rebuild their Anemones on guns; Underwater photographer under makes for some relatively calm waters consternation of the local population. ! Cox & Danks were the first major the pontoons at the wreck site of the blockships Diver on the wreck of the Markgraf 81 X-RAY MAG : 31 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED feature Scapa Flow

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: Shrimp on coral; Conger eel; Anglerfish; Queen Scallop; Red Gurnard fish; Seal at the Barrel of Butter

Scapa Flow is undoubtedly the best wreck diving in Europe and certainly ranks in the top divers on over 70 percent of the five of the world, having same shipwrecks. three times more wrecks than found in Chuuk (Truck The Top Ten Diveable Wrecks Lagoon). Although many of of Scapa Flow the ships were salvaged, at The following list is purely arbitrary, present there are still three as virtually all of the German German battleships; four Naval Fleet wrecks are in deep light cruisers; five torpedo water, making each dive, next eight years, boats (small destroyers); a WWII destroyer potentially either a mixed gas Cox & Danks raised (F2); one submarine; 27 large sections dive or a dive two battleships, four of remains, debris sites and salvor’s of some sort. Photographically battlecruisers, one equipment; 32 blockships and two British seabed is less than 30m (100ft) deep. and time wise, the blockships—Tabarka, and 25 battleships (the Vanguard and the Royal All of the motor torpedo boats and Gobernador Boreis and the Doyle—are destroyers. His first Oak); a further, 16 known British wrecks blockships are in less than 18m (60ft), superb and definitely the best accessible ship took ten days to and many other bits of wreckage as the blockships at Barrier lift from the seabed yet unidentified including a number or II are in under 6m but before long, aircraft. (20ft) and are quite as one observer possibly some of the recorded, “he fished Diving Scapa Flow best shallow shipwrecks up ships almost as Many divers still assume that one can in Europe. Therefore, easily as an angler only explore the German Naval Fleet all the blockships and winds in salmon”. wrecks using , or , German light cruisers The next salvor and that all of the dives should be are achievable for was Metal Industries treated as decompression dives, only novice divers (under and they continued to be dived by super-qualified divers. supervision). A diving the same practice In fact, diving in Scapa Flow can be as holiday in Scapa Flow set up by Cox & simple or as complicated as you want to is realistic for novice Danks and raised all make it. divers, as the diving salvors of the German fleet and were of the remaining battlecruisers and many Novice divers can have a great diving on offer goes beyond extremely innovative in sealing up all of more ships accidentally lost during the holiday in Scapa Flow and indeed many mere opinion and the holes and pumping the sealed hulls occupation of Scapa Flow by both major visitors gain their first diving qualification expectation, novice full of compressed air, thereby floating , including the Derfflinger, which through the excellent diving schools on diver are able to dive them to the surface. From their early was the largest ship ever raised from the the island. The shallowest part of the alongside those super- beginning in March 1924 and over the deepest water at 45m (150ft). Karlsruhe II is in only 15m (50ft) and the qualified, mixed gas

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Panoramic view showing positions of German battleships in Scapa Flow Bay during WWI, c. 1919

wrecks in Scapa Flow. The four German Light Sound continue to be picked as the best cruisers come next as they sit far enough off dives by visiting underwater photographers. the seabed, lying on their sides, and this allows for a little extra time for exploration. I have The top five photographic wrecks: only included one , as all of the 1. Doyle (blockship) Burra Sound others are well broken up and are considered 2. Gobernador Boreis (blockship) Burra Sound quite dangerous now, and divers should not 3. Kronprinz Wilhelm (battleship) Central be tempted to enter the ships at any time. Scapa Flow The last two are somewhat of a prize, as the 4. Brummer (German light cruiser) Central F2 was sunk in 1945, and the barge attached Scapa Flow by rope to her was sunk in 1968. Both are 5. Cöln II (German light cruiser) Central Scapa great for photography in shallower water. Flow Everyone who visits Scapa Flow to dive the wrecks has his or her favourite dives. As For those deco freaks who insist on wearing a photographer, my interest is different to their computers in the bar—post diving—just perhaps someone on trimix, who will explore to scroll off, or show off their excesses of the the seabed piece by piece, and in many day. cases, do long penetration dives within the deeper battleships. However, I am quite The top six deco deepo’s: content to stay on the shallow ships. Even 1. Strathgarry (fishing boat), 57m Wrecks located on map of Scapa Flow better, I could spend all of my time on the blockships, as not only are they shallow enough for plenty of bottom time, they are also in much clearer water, and therefore, much more photographic. So, I have tried to compile a comprehensive list of the top dives to suit all tastes.

1. Doyle (blockship) sunk 1914 2. Gobernador Boreis (blockship)sunk 1914 3. Tabarka (blockship) sunk 1941 & 1944! 4. Cöln II (German light cruiser) sunk 1919 5. Brummer (German light cruiser) sunk 1919 6. Dresden II (German light cruiser) sunk 1919 7. Karlsruhe II (German light cruiser) sunk 1919 8. Markgraf (German battleship) sunk 1919 9. James Barrie (fishing boat) sunk 1969 10. F2 (German torpedo boat) sunk 1945 and YC21 (barge used to salvage F2) sunk 1968

Although the German fleet now makes up the bulk of the wrecks more accessible to divers, the blockships sunk at the entrance to Burra ABOVE: Stern of the Gobernador Boreis wreck RIGHT: Inside the Gobernador Boreis wreck lurks a Ballan Wrasse 83 X-RAY MAG : 31 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED feature Scapa Flow

2. Markgraf (battleship), 42m We were about to dive on one of those graceful arch of the sharp bows approach 3. James Barrie (fishing boat), 42m ancient warhorses, in both eerie and us, and we drop to the stony seabed 4. König (battleship) 42m spectacular fashion, dropping through 30 to gaze upwards in awe at this massive 5. Bayern debris site (battleship remains), metres of water (100ft) to arrive near the ship lying on her starboard side. The 38m bows of the Cöln II in a bay set amidst hull is completely festooned in plumose 6. Kronprinz Wilhelm (battleship), 34m some of the most dramatic scenery in anemones (Metridium senile) and feather Europe, considerably heightening the starfish (Antedon bifida). From here we Just a few little dives diving experience and raising our adrenalin swam along the now vertical decking, in Scapa Flow in anticipation of what was to come. past the forward 5.9 inch gun and Sitting in the early morning calm, the approached the superstructure, which is cold air of daybreak was leaving a foggy The Cöln II mostly collapsed. The central section of the residue around the , we could The Cöln II is just one of the four remaining ship is now completely destroyed, blasted see no land, or in fact any other living German light cruisers and three battleships, apart by salvage divers, however the stern thing, except a tiny orange marker buoy which were scuttled under the orders of is mainly intact and the other 5.9 inch gun with a frayed bit of line attached. A couple Admiral Ludwig von Reuter in 1919. Virtually can be found. Maximum depth is 36 metres of seagulls flew overhead just to check us all of the others sunk at the same time were (120ft) and all too soon, it is time to make out, then a seal popped its head up— thoroughly salvaged, but the huge debris our way up the mooring buoy line. I guess we weren’t alone after all. Our sites are still superb dives on their own, Conditions vary tremendously during skipper, Andy Cuthbertson on board the subsequently there are tons of wreckage the season, and it can be poor visibility MV Jean Elaine had brought us to the site still scattered over the seabed, much of and dark on the seabed in the centre of of one of the German light cruisers scuttled which is still unexplored. Scapa Flow. Lights should always be used, in June 1919—90 years ago! Through the descending gloom, the and work up dives should be undertaken LEFT TO RIGHT: Diver at the wreck of the Cöln II; Archive photo of the Cöln II; Historic map of the German Fleet in Scapa Flow Bay, c.1919; Diver inside the wreck of the Tabarka 84 X-RAY MAG : 31 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED feature Scapa Flow curved bows and stern. Lying on her port side, the more exposed starboard hull is covered in dwarf plumose anemones (Metridium senile), seaweeds and sponges. Her wooden decking has all rotted away, but virtually all of her ribs, posts and lower sections of masts are still in place allowing divers many safe access points into the interior of the ship at The Tabarka various levels. Many divers prefer the Tabarka as The ship is still robust enough to their number one blockship, as it rests allow for full safe and easy access, upside down in 18m (60ft) of water. and the interior allows you to extend You enter the water at slack tide and your dive into the time when the quickly explore the outside of the starts to run once more. Hull ship before penetrating its cavernous plates have come away over the interior. Here, you can spend your years, and the light now streams in maximum bottom time until your through a huge number of square computer makes sufficient noise at holes making for a rather superb you to return to the surface. By the cathedral-like quality. time the dive is over, the Ballan wrasse, cuckoo wrasse will be in full flow, and you just launch and conger eels are found in the yourself into the current. The dive boat interior and huge schools of juvenile skippers know exactly where you will Saithe and Pollack swirl around the surface and will pick you up safely superstructure. The stern is also largely and easily. In the immediate vicinity intact, topped with kelp, and the is my personal favourite dive on the huge blades of her single propeller blockship Doyle. are covered in anemones and small pincushion sea urchins. The Doyle Once slack water passes, divers are The Doyle recommended to just drift away from was a single the wreck, as they will only pull down screw coastal the dive boat’s shotline. Divers should steamer built in deploy a delayed surface marker Troon, Ayrshire, buoy, and the dive boat will follow before one dives the deeper and weighed your easy progress into Burra Sound battleships. Which is why so 1,761 tons. At and be there to collect you. many of us photographers prefer 79.3m (260ft) the Blockships at the entrance long, she was F2 German torpedo boat to Burra Sound, where the requisitioned In between dives, the dive boats average depth is half that of the by the often anchor on the jetty at , German warships, subsequently Admiralty the former Naval Base on the Island of with much more light, more and sunk on 7 Hoy. Incidentally, nearby is a former interesting marine growth and in . dive boat called the Mara and the much clearer water as the tidal The smallest of wreck of the F2, a German Torpedo race at Burra Sound sweeps all the blockships boat, as well as her salvage barge, sedimentation particles away. But in Burra Sound, sunk in 1968. The salvage company went off to celebrate their good LEFT TO RIGHT: Diver at the this also means that one has only she is instantly had just removed a set of guns from fortune at being able to raise the wreck of the Doyle; Cuckoo limited time on these wrecks and recognizable the F2 and had tied tight onto the guns and left their booty to a rising Wrasse; Massive propelllor of then only at slack tide. by her intact stricken vessel (at low tide). The crew tide, which low and behold, sunk the Doyle wreck Diver investigates the interior of the Doyle wreck 85 X-RAY MAG : 31 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED feature Scapa Flow

their barge (and their booty) now making two very nice diveable ships (and both with guns). The wrecks are attached by rope. There is a museum nearby on Hoy with an excellent display of artefacts relating to the two World Wars.

The Royal Oak Twenty years after the German Fleet was scuttled, on the night of October 14th, 1939, the 188-metre (600ft) battleship Royal Oak was at anchor in the northern region cuthbertson of Scapa Flow. Her duties were to protect Kirkwall and andy the British fleet from aerial attack. Scapa Flow was considered impenetrable because of the narrow CLOCKWISE FROM TOP CENTER IMAGE: passages between the reefs Archive photo of Royal Oak; Archive and islands. Likely attack photo of the sallvaging of a battle- would be expected only from ship in the German Fleet; Anti-aircraft the skies. guns on the Royal Oak; Commander However, nobody told Günther Prien of the U47 this to the commander of the U47, Günther Prien, who of Defense. stealthily approached Scapa As a direct result of the loss of the Flow —in what is considered Royal Oak, visited by many to be one of the Orkney and ordered the complete bravest feats in naval history­­ closure of all of the eastern —and at the dead of night, approaches into Scapa Flow, which sunk the Royal Oak, taking had clearly been unable to stop the with her the lives of 833 men protected by Navy Law. Diving ingress of an enemy U-Boat, which and boys. The Royal Oak is now on her is strictly forbidden without passed through the blockships a designated war grave and is express permission from the Ministry unhindered. TOP TO BOTTOM: The Royal Oak wreck at Admiral’s Pinnace; Stern of the V83

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Orkney Dive Boat Operators Association - Halton Charters www.mvhalton.co.uk

Orkney Islands Charters www.orkneyislandscharters.co.uk Roving Eye Enterprises www.rovingeye.co.uk Scapa Scuba www.scapascuba.co.uk Scapa Flow Charters www.jeanelaine.co.uk Scapa Flow Diving Centre www.scapaflowdivingcentre.com Scapa Flow Technical www.scapaflow.com Stormdrift www.mv-stormdrift.co.uk Stromness Diving Centre www.orknet.co.uk/scapa/triton. working alongside civilians on the htm Tourism Although the contract for the construction of the barriers, set Sunrise Charters work was awarded to a civilian about improving their huts by laying www.sunrisecharters.co.uk company, over 1350 Italian Prisoners concrete paths, planting flowers The Diving Cellar of War were transported to Orkney and of course redecorating. www.divescapaflow.co.uk and billeted on the eastern islands Italian artist Domenico to work alongside the locals. Chiocchetti set about painting the orkney Useful Contacts

Rather cheerless and lacking in interior of one of the camp huts British Airways home comforts, the Italians, whilst and transformed it into a Chapel. (operated by Loganair) Completely restored by the original www.ba.com artist, the on Lamb Holm is well worth a visit when Nautical Archaeological Society [email protected] staying in Orkney. Undoubtedly a visit to the Orkney Orkney Archives Islands is not just about visiting the www.orkneylibrary.org.uk sunken fleet, Orkney is so much Orkney Dive Boat Operators more. Sports diving is seriously big Association business in Orkney and has been www.odboa.co.uk for many years. Scapa Flow is one Orkney Heritage of the most popular dive sites in www.orkneyheritage.com CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Europe. Harbours Diver inspects an anchor at alone Department the Seyditz wreck; Diver at contributes well over GB£1,000,000 [email protected] the bow of Brummer wreck; a year to Orkney’s economy, with Orkney Tourist Board, Stromness Exterior of Italian chapel; up to 3,000 divers making almost www.visitorkney.com Interior of Italian chapel 30,000 dives a year—about 60 percent of them on what’s left Northlink Ferries Ltd www.northlinkferries.co.uk of the German .

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TOP LEFT TO RIGHT: Anemones decorate the wreck of Kronprinz Wilhelm; Diver investigates the Kaiser site; Diver inspects bridge railings of the Brummer wreck

And that’s a conservative estimate. scheduling should help to ensure that It translates into thousands of divers they survive as intact as possible, for needing accommodation, transport, as long as possible, for the enjoyment shops and equipment; and opportunities they offer to spending time and money in succeeding generations of the islands; and thousands Orcadians, dive boat being carried by Orkney operators, and the vast dive boat operators and majority of responsible others, whose livelihoods divers. Scapa Flow is depend on the diving there to be enjoyed by industry. everyone, but please In the story of the dive responsibly and German High Seas Fleet please recognise that at Scapa Flow, we have all of the shipwrecks a microcosm of the have protected status changing approach to under the Protection historic wrecks and the of Wrecks Act 1974 and way we as a society are scheduled under the value them: First, they Ancient Monuments and were seen as weapons Archaeological Areas. 1979. Click to Buy! of mass destruction ■ (1918-21); then as a salvage resource (1923-39); then an unrestricted diving Want to learn more about wrecks and amenity (1960s onwards); and finally, diving in Scapa Flow? See Lawson as national historic and archaeological Wood’s book, Scapa Flow Dive Guide, assets, worthy of protection by law. published by Aquapress or visit his As for the remaining seven wrecks, website at: www.lawsonwood.com ABOVE: Aft gun on the Kronprinz Wilhelm wreck. BOTTOM LEFT: Stern gun breaches landsape at the Karlsruhe wreck. INSET: Scapa Flow Dive Guide by Lawson Wood 88 X-RAY MAG : 31 : 2009 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED

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